A wide variety of implantable medical devices (IMDs) that deliver a therapy to or monitor a physiologic or biological condition of a patient, or both, have been clinically implanted or proposed for clinical implantation in patients. An IMD may deliver therapy to or monitor a physiological or biological condition with respect to a variety of organs, nerves, muscles or tissues of the patients, such as the heart, brain, stomach, spinal cord, pelvic floor, or the like. The therapy provided by the IMD may include electrical stimulation therapy, drug delivery therapy or the like.
The IMD may exchange telemetry communications with one or more other devices. The IMD may exchange telemetry communications with an external device, such as a programmer device or a patient monitor (e.g., either attached to the patient or otherwise located near the patient). This information may be previously stored or real-time information. The IMD may also receive information from another device, such as the programmer, via telemetry communication. Telemetry communication, however, requires a considerable current drain as compared to the current drawn during non-telemetry operations during the service life of the IMD. As such, extensive telemetry communication with the IMD drains the power source of the IMD of valuable energy that could otherwise extend the service life of the IMD.
Some IMDs may include one or more leads that extend from the IMD to a target location of a patient, e.g., target organ, nerve, muscle or tissue of the patient. In one example, the IMD may include one or more leads that extend to target locations within a heart of the patient. Other IMDs, however, may be sufficiently small that the IMD may be placed directly at the target location without the need for one or more leads extending from the IMD. Such a device may be referred to as a leadless IMD.
During implantation of an IMD that utilizes a conventional lead(s), the proximal end of the lead(s) is first connected to an analyzer to verify good connection to a target location which is suitable for stimulation and/or detection as well as intact conduction and insulation along the lead. The analyzer may be a stand alone external instrument or integrated within other instrumentation such as a programmer or cardiac navigation system. During implantation of an IMD without conventional leads (e.g., using a delivery catheter), wireless telemetry communication between the IMD and an external device is used to verify good connection to the target location suitable for stimulation and detection. This is because the IMD may not have a connection readily available for use with an analyzer.